Neil Tyler

Established in 1887, Sanders Bros. was the UK's largest chain of corn, flour, seed and general produce merchants in the 1920s, trading from 154 branches in 1925 in London and the surrounding area and with a stock market value higher than Marks & Spencer. With more retail stores than Sainsbury or Tesco, Sanders Bros. was also a significant manufacturer and distributor of biscuits and grocery and a major importer of spices and rice. Taken over by a colourful group of investors, it was quickly broken up and its records destroyed in the 1950s. The story of this major business is reconstructed using published and personal sources, including family memories, photos and advertisements. This is the unique and previously untold story of a national food retail chain in the pre-supermarket era, and the lessons taught by its rise and fall.